BSNL could have hit gold when they offered the BSNL 3G services at the price of 2G. This could have been a move by the company to penetrate deeper into the country but the campaign was not really a big success. Neither was it marketed well by BSNL, nor was it easy for a customer who wanted to move on to 3G from 2G.

There are some other companies that are also betting big on this sector. The Indian mobile handset manufacturers have already started offering 3G enabled handsets at affordable middle class prices. But there is still a long way to go. Awareness is one important aspect. After creating awareness the companies must think of percolating down the pyramid and then think about increasing ARPU levels.

It is an uphill path, and a rocky one. As an example, China has had only 4% adoption of the technology after 2 years of its launch and that too when the players have been aggressive in their marketing and the government has been supportive. Only time will tell whether the Indian market would fare any better for the Telecom majors than their Chinese and European counterparts.